Darl
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Re: Darl
Thinking back to the dagger, Darl mentally evaluates the weapon's quality; attempting to assess whether it truly was worth the exchange or was potentially enchanted ... as either might go a long way towards convincing him that the wormspeaker was playing him on an even field. As far as Darl can tell, the dagger isn't enchanted, but he finds that he's not very confident in his assessment. His eye for quality is slightly better, and judging by the weight and sturdiness it appears to be a good quality dagger. Nothing special and probably not worth the blood stone if it is as it appears to be.
... wait ... was she missing her earlier lisp?
"Forgive me ..." he states before approaching the wormspeaker, "But before we continue, I must insist on another test. My name, your name, and what of my offer you seek most at the conclusion of our transaction?" he questions. "I would at least like to know just how much lighter one might expect my load to be, once our exchange is complete."
"A trick question, I sssee" The wormspeaker lisps. "Trying to fool one who might not be me, perhappsss? I did not give you my name and you did not give me yoursss." {OOC: I looked back through the dialog and couldn't see where either one had formally introduced themselves.} "Perhappsss that iss for the besst. Namess can have great power for some. Perhappsss I just call you Enigma...hmmm?" The wormspeaker chuckles at her own private little joke.
"Nowtobusinesss, onebloodsstoneforonecurse. That is my price." She is complete seriousness now. The hint of former mirth has vanished. "For the ressst?....the curse first, then we decide."
Inwardly, he listens very carefully to the wormspeaker's response, attempting to determine if he was being overly paranoid; or if in fact the wormspeaker had lost her original lisp ... which would indicate perhaps that this was not the one with whom he had started this discussion; however, the lisp is definitely present in full force. All indications are that this is the same wormspeaker that Darl was dealing with. Only magic could make Darl more sure.
... wait ... was she missing her earlier lisp?
"Forgive me ..." he states before approaching the wormspeaker, "But before we continue, I must insist on another test. My name, your name, and what of my offer you seek most at the conclusion of our transaction?" he questions. "I would at least like to know just how much lighter one might expect my load to be, once our exchange is complete."
"A trick question, I sssee" The wormspeaker lisps. "Trying to fool one who might not be me, perhappsss? I did not give you my name and you did not give me yoursss." {OOC: I looked back through the dialog and couldn't see where either one had formally introduced themselves.} "Perhappsss that iss for the besst. Namess can have great power for some. Perhappsss I just call you Enigma...hmmm?" The wormspeaker chuckles at her own private little joke.
"Nowtobusinesss, onebloodsstoneforonecurse. That is my price." She is complete seriousness now. The hint of former mirth has vanished. "For the ressst?....the curse first, then we decide."
Inwardly, he listens very carefully to the wormspeaker's response, attempting to determine if he was being overly paranoid; or if in fact the wormspeaker had lost her original lisp ... which would indicate perhaps that this was not the one with whom he had started this discussion; however, the lisp is definitely present in full force. All indications are that this is the same wormspeaker that Darl was dealing with. Only magic could make Darl more sure.
Joe - Administrator
Re: Darl
"A trick question, I sssee" The wormspeaker lisps. "Trying to fool one who might not be me, perhappsss? I did not give you my name and you did not give me yoursss." {OOC: I looked back through the dialog and couldn't see where either one had formally introduced themselves.} "Perhappsss that iss for the besst. Namess can have great power for some. Perhappsss I just call you Enigma...hmmm?" The wormspeaker chuckles at her own private little joke.
"Nowtobusinesss, onebloodsstoneforonecurse. That is my price." She is complete seriousness now. The hint of former mirth has vanished. "For the ressst?....the curse first, then we decide."
Inwardly, he listens very carefully to the wormspeaker's response, attempting to determine if he was being overly paranoid; or if in fact the wormspeaker had lost her original lisp ... which would indicate perhaps that this was not the one with whom he had started this discussion; however, the lisp is definitely present in full force. All indications are that this is the same wormspeaker that Darl was dealing with. Only magic could make Darl more sure.
IC:
"Hmmm ..." Darl responds, considering the offer. "You press your advantage ... but one can't fault you for that."
Pausing a moment longer, he replies, "One bloodstone of my choice, out of the three I have shown you ... with the ownership transfer occurring only after their full capabilities have been revealed to me, and we've obtained independent confirmation that the curse no longer remains. I'll defer to your choice of individual to provide that confirmation; with payment for thier services to be made out of your shop inventory."
Darl tries to read the wormspeaker's reaction to his tweaking of her terms. "For the rest ... the curse first, and then we decide."
Re: Darl
The wormspeaker furrows her brow, making the already deep lines in her face darken even further. "I am disssappointed. You do not yet trussst me. Even though I have passed all of your testsss, you continue to push. You come into my shop and I offer services on faith that you will pay for the information I have already given, and yet you ssstill do not trust." Her previous light hearted attitude seems to be rapidly slipping. "If you want confirmation that the curssse is lifffted, find that confirmation on your own or perhapsss you find sssomebody else to lift the curse for you. If you wisshh to continue, I agree to your other termsss."
Joe - Administrator
Re: Darl
Darl sighs. "And now I've offended. My apologies ... I walked into your shop to buy a bloodstone mount, not anticipating the visit would cost me that same bloodstone. I suppose the raised stakes have put me on edge. And, you must appreciated, one's ability to trust can be somewhat shaken when notified that they've been saddled with a curse behind their back."
Darl nods his head in consession. "We are agreed, then."
Darl nods his head in consession. "We are agreed, then."
Re: Darl
"No inssult intended, then no inssult taken." The wormspeaker responds but the prior sparkle to her old eyes has not yet returned. "Now, to buzinesss. I will need to touch you..." She reaches out a wrinkled hand and waits for Darl to take it in his before continuing. Closing her eyes she concentrates; the host of worms writhe more emphatically in her mouth making her already grotesque visage appear as if she's being attacked by a serpentine monster. After a few moments she releases Darl's hand and concentrates again, but with open eyes. The silence drags on for a few more seconds and then she nods her head in apparent satisfaction. "The curse iss gone." She states flatly. "Would you like to return my shop to complete or business, or do you not feel safe there?"
Joe - Administrator
Re: Darl
"The shop will be fine," Darl conceeds, not wanting to indicate that deep down, he doesn't feel it is truly safe. "And apologies again for the offense ... a vex for a hex, where my paranoia was certainly not warranted. Let us see how else I might make it up to you, shall we?" While he didn't expect the Shade to show itself in full daylight, there was probably a good chance that it was still in the area; and he was certain it would know the tracking spell had been removed. He was also certain that the demon would visit this wormspeakers shop later this evening; but she didn't know that. And information regarding the Shade was the last significant bargaining chip he had; he didn't want to alert her to the true nature of the situation until he could use that to his own advantage.
"Though I suggest we leave by another route than by which we came," he adds, gesturing to the far doors. "Wisdom before brawn?" he asks with his toothy version of a smile, offering a gesture for the wormspeaker to lead on, if she so chooses.
"Though I suggest we leave by another route than by which we came," he adds, gesturing to the far doors. "Wisdom before brawn?" he asks with his toothy version of a smile, offering a gesture for the wormspeaker to lead on, if she so chooses.
Re: Darl
"The shop will be fine," Darl conceeds, not wanting to indicate that deep down, he doesn't feel it is truly safe. "And apologies again for the offense ... a vex for a hex, where my paranoia was certainly not warranted. Let us see how else I might make it up to you, shall we?"
"Though I suggest we leave by another route than by which we came," he adds, gesturing to the far doors. "Wisdom before brawn?" he asks with his toothy version of a smile, offering a gesture for the wormspeaker to lead on, if she so chooses.
"Hmm... a vexxx for a hexxx...a vexxx for a hexxx... catchy, I like that..." the old woman cackles as she makes for the indicated back door.
The old wormspeaker pokes her head out the door and looks around for a bit before proceeding. She turns right and makes her way in between a couple of buildings to make her way back out to the street. Darl and she arrive back at the shop without incident and apparently without being followed.
{OOC: So, refresh my memory, what still needs to be identified?}
"Though I suggest we leave by another route than by which we came," he adds, gesturing to the far doors. "Wisdom before brawn?" he asks with his toothy version of a smile, offering a gesture for the wormspeaker to lead on, if she so chooses.
"Hmm... a vexxx for a hexxx...a vexxx for a hexxx... catchy, I like that..." the old woman cackles as she makes for the indicated back door.
The old wormspeaker pokes her head out the door and looks around for a bit before proceeding. She turns right and makes her way in between a couple of buildings to make her way back out to the street. Darl and she arrive back at the shop without incident and apparently without being followed.
{OOC: So, refresh my memory, what still needs to be identified?}
Joe - Administrator
Re: Darl
Once back at the shop, Darl shares his items with the wormspeaker, asking for her assessment of their purpose and their abilities; identification of any enchantments they might possess, and attempting to get a sense of their potential worth. Starting with the ivory cross and his bloodstones, he then moves on to an assessment of the red jewel and the perfectly round grey stone; thinking that the wormspeaker may consider them of some worth, even if they were not valued as high as the bloodstone this visit was already costing him.
With a smile, he also sets the dagger she had given him in exchange for the bloodstone on the table, interested in an appraisal; though inwardly he suspects it's simply a well-made dagger with no other special properties.
With the identifications done, he moves on to other business. "You mentioned perhaps a brace ..." he begins, "something to which a bloodstone could be mounted and worn. Something custom ... how long would creation of something like that take?"
With a smile, he also sets the dagger she had given him in exchange for the bloodstone on the table, interested in an appraisal; though inwardly he suspects it's simply a well-made dagger with no other special properties.
With the identifications done, he moves on to other business. "You mentioned perhaps a brace ..." he begins, "something to which a bloodstone could be mounted and worn. Something custom ... how long would creation of something like that take?"
Re: Darl
"Hmmm... let me see. These two bloodssstones..." The wormspeaker concentrates as she holds each one in her hand in turn. "These are minor stones..." she closes her eyes in further concentration. "Thissss one," she says pointing to a round, reddish orange stone with a dark red stripe down the center "This one allows the wearer to see in the dark." Placing the final stone on the counter, a transparent red teardrop shaped stone with a clear diamond shape at it's center, she looks at Darl and says "This one is a purity stone. It can be used to purify water to make it safe to drink and gives the wearers body some added ability to fight off the effects of poison or disease."
Picking up the cross next she immediately sets it back down. "This is not of Wormwood and so will require sssomething more, I think." Fetching a black cloth and a piece of chalk from under the counter the wormspeaker begins drawing a pattern. She softly speaks an incantation as she first draws an upside down triangle and then intersects two of the triangle's sides with shorter lines. An eye is then drawn in the center of the triangle before a heavy circle is etched around the eye. The circle intersects the points of the triangle and the two extra lines, but she is careful to avoid intersecting the eye itself. As a final act, she places the cross directly over the eye as she recites the final words of the incantation "...ut revelaret omnis oculus!!" She slouches slightly more than usual as the seconds drag on in silence. Finally she speaks "I am afraid that the spell has failed. I am unable to determine this objectsss purpose. That it has a purpose isss undeniable, but it is beyond my abilities to sssee."
With some concern in her eyes, she turns to the round stone and the jewel. Turning each over in her hands and holding the jewel up to the light streaming through the open doorway she says "These do not have any magical properties although the jewel is pretty and of good clarity. I would make you a fair offer for it if there is something you wish of me. Thisss stone is intriguing in itsss uniformity," she says indicating the round gray marble "But would be of little ussse to me."
"As I was unable to identify the crossss for you, I would gift you a proper, if minor, setting for one of your blood stones in exchange for the blood stone already agreed upon. Perhapssss a circlet for the Cat's Eye or a necklace for the stone of purity?"
Picking up the cross next she immediately sets it back down. "This is not of Wormwood and so will require sssomething more, I think." Fetching a black cloth and a piece of chalk from under the counter the wormspeaker begins drawing a pattern. She softly speaks an incantation as she first draws an upside down triangle and then intersects two of the triangle's sides with shorter lines. An eye is then drawn in the center of the triangle before a heavy circle is etched around the eye. The circle intersects the points of the triangle and the two extra lines, but she is careful to avoid intersecting the eye itself. As a final act, she places the cross directly over the eye as she recites the final words of the incantation "...ut revelaret omnis oculus!!" She slouches slightly more than usual as the seconds drag on in silence. Finally she speaks "I am afraid that the spell has failed. I am unable to determine this objectsss purpose. That it has a purpose isss undeniable, but it is beyond my abilities to sssee."
With some concern in her eyes, she turns to the round stone and the jewel. Turning each over in her hands and holding the jewel up to the light streaming through the open doorway she says "These do not have any magical properties although the jewel is pretty and of good clarity. I would make you a fair offer for it if there is something you wish of me. Thisss stone is intriguing in itsss uniformity," she says indicating the round gray marble "But would be of little ussse to me."
"As I was unable to identify the crossss for you, I would gift you a proper, if minor, setting for one of your blood stones in exchange for the blood stone already agreed upon. Perhapssss a circlet for the Cat's Eye or a necklace for the stone of purity?"
Joe - Administrator
Re: Darl
"A neck chain for the purity stone would serve well ... The cats eye I shall leave with you," Darl responds. "For the jewel, perhaps you have something to help bolster ones mystic reserves? Or maybe something to help protect me the next time someone decides to target me with a spell or curse?"
"There is one other item I would like to learn more about," he adds once any further bartering is complete. "This is a bit of a long shot, but I'm sure you have seen and heard many things in your travels ... Does the name Iodin mean anything to you? Perhaps someone from Wormwood lore?"
"There is one other item I would like to learn more about," he adds once any further bartering is complete. "This is a bit of a long shot, but I'm sure you have seen and heard many things in your travels ... Does the name Iodin mean anything to you? Perhaps someone from Wormwood lore?"